A 16-year-old boy has been charged with rape and attempted murder following a violent assault on a 10-year-old girl in Exmouth last week.

The incident happened on Thursday 4th October in the Marley Road area of Exmouth. A member of the public found the girl distressed and alerted emergency services.

The suspect, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will appear at a Youth Court held within Exeter Magistrates Court this morning, Monday 8th October.

In an online statement, Devon and Cornwall Police said this morning: “In the meantime, we need to remind the public of the law surrounding this matter.

“Anyone who is alleged to be a victim of a sexual crime are automatically granted anonymity for life; regardless of their age and regardless of the outcome of any subsequent criminal trial.

“Any suspect under the age of 18 is also by law not allowed to be identified.

“These rules are not solely for media organisations to adhere to, they also apply to members of the public and includes information posted via social media.

“This may be seen as interfering with a live investigation and an active criminal trial, and therefore could see those who do not adhere found in contempt of court. This means that they would find themselves called before a judge and landed with a criminal record.

“We therefore remind the public that it is vital that they do not speculate on the identity of either the victim or the suspect in this case.

“We will be publishing a further update via our media channels following today’s hearing,”

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